Turkey tragedy for Russian Navy Beriev
Triple tragedy for the Russian Navy, as on 14 August they lost their first delivered Beriev Be-200 RF-88450, code 20 yellow (msn 64620090311) during a firefighting mission (they used the occassion for export promotion) and all crew (five Russians and three Turks) were killed.
Barely one-and-a-half years old, the Beriev crashed in the mountains near the city of Kakhramanmarash in eastern Turkey, while fighting a forest fire that started due to a lightning strike.
Wildfires in Turkey’s Mediterranean region began in late July and have incinerated thousands of acres of forests, mostly in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya. Turkey’s forestry minister, Bekir Pakdemirli, said Thursday that 299 fires had been brought under control over sixteen days by firefighters, helicopters and planes.
The Beriev (named Aleksandr Mamkin, after a distinguished Soviet WWII transport pilot) arrived in Turkey on 8 July, to assist with fighting the wildfires.
The aircraft is designed specifically for fighting fires, including in remote areas, and can carry twelve tons of water.